Question

Kevin's unit had a high rate of staff turnover prior to his hire as manager. When he came on board he had a "bare bones" staff of mostly "lifers" or nurses who had been on the unit a very long time and weren't looking for a change since they are waiting to retire. He currently has some full-time positions for which he is going to be interviewing. Before he begins the interview process he wants to be sure there is a mechanism in place for training and development that will help keep new staff on board. What do you think is beneficial for Kevin to include in this process?

Answer 1

As the employment market improves and candidates have more options, hiring the right person for the job has become increasingly difficult. Applicants also have more information about each company’s selection process than ever before. Kevin need to assess candidates but also to convince the best ones to stay.

Here’s how to make the interview process work

Prepare questions
Before Kevin meets candidates face-to-face, he need to figure out exactly what he is looking for in a new hire so that he is asking the right questions during the interview. Begin this process by “compiling a list of required attributes” for the position. For inspiration and guidance, looking at the top performers. What do they have in common? How are they resourceful? What did they accomplish prior to working at his organization? What roles did they hold? Those answers will help Kevin create criteria and enable him to construct relevant questions.

Reduce stress
Candidates find job interviews stressful because of the many unknowns. What will my interviewer be like? What kinds of questions will he ask? How can I squeeze this meeting into my workday? And of course: What should I wear? But “when people are stressed they do not perform as well,”. Kevin needs to take preemptive steps to lower the candidate’s cortisol levels. Tell people in advance the topics he would like to discuss so they can prepare. He must be willing to meet the person at a time that’s convenient to him or her. And explain his organization’s dress code. Kevin's goal must be to “make them comfortable” so that you have a productive, professional conversation.

Involve (only a few) others
When making any big decision, it’s important to seek counsel from others so invite a few trusted colleagues to help him in the interview. “Monarchy doesn’t work. Kevin must have multiple checks” to make sure he is hiring the right person. “But on the other hand, extreme democracy is also ineffective” and can result in a long, drawn-out process. He must be having three people interview the candidate: “the boss, the boss’ boss, and a senior HR person or recruiter.” Peer interviewers can also be “really important,” because they give his team members a say in who gets the job. “They will take more ownership of the hire and have reasons to help that person succeed,”.

Assess potential
Budget two hours for the first interview. That amount of time enables Kevin to “really assess the person’s competency and potential.” Look for signs of the candidate’s “curiosity, insight, engagement, and determination.” Kevin needs to “assume that the person will be promoted and that they will be a manager someday. The question then becomes not only can this person do the job today, but can he or she do the job a year from now when the world has changed?” Ask the candidate how he learns and for his thoughts on where your industry is going. “No one can predict the future, but Kevin want someone who is thinking about it every day,”.

Ask for real solutions
Kevin should not ask absurd questions like: What are your weaknesses? Instead try to discern how the candidate would handle real situations related to the job. Explain a problem your team struggles with and ask the candidate to walk you through how she would solve it. Or describe a process your company uses, and ask her to identify inefficiencies. Go back to your list of desired attributes. If he is looking for an executive who will need to influence a large number of people over whom he won’t have formal power, ask: “Have you ever been in a situation where you had to persuade other people who were not your direct reports to do something? How did you do it? And what were the consequences?”

Consider “cultural fit,” but don’t obsess
Much has been made about the importance of “cultural fit” in successful hiring. Kevin should should look for signs that “the candidate will be comfortable” at his organization. Think about his company’s work environment and compare it to the candidate’s orientation. Is he a long-term planner or a short-term thinker? Is he collaborative or does he prefer working independently? But, his perception of a candidate’s disposition isn’t necessarily indicative of whether he can acclimate to a new culture. “People adapt,” “What you really want to know is: can they adjust?”

Sell the job
If the meeting is going well and Kevin believe that the candidate is worth wooing, spend time during the second half of the interview selling the role and the organization. “If he focus too much on selling at the beginning, it’s hard to be objective,”. But once he is confident in the candidate, “tell the person why he think he or she is a good fit,”. Bear in mind that the interview is a mutual screening process. “Make the process fun,”. Ask them if there’s anyone on the team they’d like to meet. The best people to sell the job are those who “live it,” he explains. “Peers give an honest picture of what the organization is like.”